Fade Away and Wear Your Crown
by Killingsenserulez
Summary: AU where Freeza escaped Trunks when he went to Earth. In the chaos following the androids and Cell, the tyrant seemed to disappear and became a mere thought in the back of everyone's minds. Now, after ten years of silence, he has returned with a new "friend". And a warning for Goku
1. Becoming A Fool

Summary:AU where Freeza escaped Trunks when he went to Earth. In the chaos following the androids and Cell, the tyrant seemed to disappear and became a mere thought in the back of everyone's minds. Now, after ten years of silence, he has returned with a new "friend". And a proposition for Goku.

Chapter 1: Becoming a Fool

Goku closed his eyes and inhaled the crisp night air, sighing deeply as the chill stung his throat and lungs in a strangely pleasant way. He rolled his shoulders as he sought out the familiar ki of his family below him. Standing on the top of their dome-shaped house, he felt Chichi's energy. It felt stubborn and proud, just like she was.

Then he felt his youngest son's ki spike... perhaps he was dreaming. Goten had had a nightmare earlier- he woke up shrieking and was sobbing too hard to form a single word. Goku would have to press him for more details in the morning- and insisted on sleeping with Gohan for the rest of the night. His energy was innocent, almost like his older brother's when he was younger. But the hardships and battles that Gohan had faced in his early years had matured him, making him lose the child-like sparkle in his eyes far too soon for Goku's taste.

Opening his eyes again, he directed his gaze to the waning moon. Goku had lost count of how many times he reflected back on his choice to return to life after Cell's little self-destruct tactic and he never regretted his choice. Sure, the threat of danger would be greater. But that threat would always be there regardless, looming over their heads and breathing down their necks. Here, he could at least protect his family and friends. Maybe watching his sons grow up together made it even more rewarding.

Peace flowed through him as he observed the moonlit field before him, the breeze causing the long grass to ripple in waves, the moonlight so bright that the few trees scattered here and there casted shadows as if it were daytime. There was something so relaxing about the stillness-

He stiffened when he felt it.

When he felt _him_.

His earlier relieve gone in the shade of danger, he automatically shifted into a fighting stance.

Why now? They hadn't seen hide nor hair of him for years.

Of course, Goku always got the impression that Freeza wasn't the type to let sleeping dogs lie- the passage of time, or lack thereof, be damned. Goku spared the time to scoff at his own surprise at the situation. Freeza was alive. Of course he would want to settle the score at some point. And in his defense, Goku had been pretty sure that he'd nipped the situation at the bud in the last seconds of Planet Namek's destruction. Vegeta argued that the enemy should be killed the second the opportunity arises, lest they use the show of mercy as an opening. He didn't flat out say that he was talking about Goku's confrontation with Freeza, but he got the jist of it. Goku couldn't bring himself to say that the only reason Vegeta was still alive was-

Freeza's energy spiked sharply, snapping him out of his thoughts. Right, Freeza was back on Earth again. He really needed to stop letting his mind wander like that. Goku rose into the air and faced the direction Freeza was in. With one last look at the house and his family inside, he sped off.

When Freeza first came to Earth with King Cold, Trunks- who hadn't even been born yet- confronted him almost immediately. After throwing several dozen soldiers his way, Freeza realised that he didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting out of this one alive. And then he managed to swallow his pride and made the smartest decision he could.

He decided to live to fight another day.

Good for him, bad for every other living creature in existence.

Vegeta's first plan was that they go after him, and by "they" he really meant himself. Bulma, Yamcha, Chiaotzu, and Krillin agreed. Piccolo and Tien remained silent, sharing a long and intense stare with each other, what it meant was and still remains unknown to everyone but them.

But then Goku touched down, then Trunks told him about the androids, then they panicked and argued over what to do, then they did this and that and. . .

They got a little sidetracked, it seemed. Maybe they should've taken a moment to track down Freeza as soon as possible. Oh well, hindsight and all that.

_Just a little further. . ._ Goku didn't plan to go Super just yet; Freeza felt exponentially stronger and while time was of the essence, it wouldn't matter how fast he got there if he wasn't at full strength to face the tyrant. _Damn, this would be a lot easier if Vegeta was here._

But ever since Trunks found out about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, he'd been begging and pleading his father to train there together. Of course today had to be the day Vegeta finally caved in. They wouldn't be able to sense Freeza, and it would take to long to go there and explain the situation to Vegeta and drag him along. The others were god knows where, but Goku could count on them to join the fight as soon as they sensed Freeza.

Something didn't sit right in Goku's gut. Freeza was on Earth by now, that was easy enough to grasp. But what he couldn't wrap his head around was why he came alone. And how the hell did he enter the atmosphere without any of them knowing?

Goku faltered a little at the thought, but pushed on with more urgency than before. _If Freeza found out how to conceal his energy like us, then he must know how to sense it without one of those. . .those, uh. . . Vegeta called them scooters? Doesn't matter, that little parasite will exploit it in ever way he can. But if he knows how to conceal it, then why not use the element of surprise? Especially since he's alone. . . Oh hey, I'm here._

Below him was a forest- or what was left of it. Trees were bent and broken in the wake of a large trench that had been dug by Freeza's ship. All evidence pointed to the fact that Freeza had crashed rather than landed like one would assume. Goku pondered the slightly singed (and still smoking) flora around him as he touched down and made his way to hs destination on foot. He gently touched the splinters of a particularly large tree stump and let his mind wander once more. If Freeza crashed, he was most likely injured as a result.

Maybe he was planning to ambush Goku, but lost control of his pod and was left wounded and out cold thus he wouldn't be able to hide his energy. But then why did Freeza's energy spike before returning to normal? Looking back on it, Goku likened the sensation to an animal charging, darting forward just enough to scare its opponent back slightly before returning to the safety of whatever corner it had been backed in to.

_So many questions and not a single clue to go on_, Goku thought with a sigh. He stiffened as he felt the ki spike once again. His alarm turned to confusion when this time, a sharp jolt of energy answered it. It was so small and felt so muffled and muted, Goku almost missed it entirely. He sensed restrained strength underneath it, but he mostly felt rage. And hurt. So much hurt. . .

He froze when a small, pale figure rose from the smoking crater before him. Placing his hands on his narrow hips, Freeza made a show of looking around, humming in mock appreciation at the scenery around him. He seemed to be paying Goku no mind, but he was sure that Freeza was very aware of his every move.

A loud cracking sound caused both of their heads to snap towards the source in surprise. The partially fallen tree Goku was observing earlier finally gave way from the topheavy weight of its branches. Goku quickly faced Freeza again, thankful that he didn't take advantage of Goku turning his back on him. The air was filled with the popping and squeaking of wood at the tree landed with a dull thud. Freeza winced at the sound and then chuckled.

_This is getting ridiculous._

"Freeza!" Goku spat with all the anger he could muster.

The alien in question snapped his attention to him, eyes widening as if he just noticed the saiyan there. Freeza's "smile" looked more like a nasty sneer, thin purple lips curling back over small square teeth.

"Son Goku!" he exclaimed and he gestured around him, "Long time, no see, eh? So sorry I had to leave the party before you could join last time. You forgive me, right? Right? That's what you and all your little Earth friends are good at, isn't it?"

They stood in silence for a while, Freeza looking uncharacteristically jovial and Goku's face twisted in rage.

The silence dragged on until Freeza dropped his arms and sighed, rolling his eyes. Goku tensed and shifted into a fighting stance. He flared his energy up in warning. He still didn't know for certain whether or not Freeza had learned how to sense energy- or if he even could- but the sharp spikes of lightening seemed to get his message across. The tyrant only smirked.

Freeza continued. "So," he drawled as he casually stepped forward, "I know what-"

"Stay back!" Goku hissed. Freeza put his hands up in defeat. "You don't say anything. You hear me? You don't _get_ to say anything after what you've done. This is _my_ home, these are _my_ people, and you are _not_ welcome here! Got it?"

The reptilian just smirked, his eyes dancing with amusement. "That's nothing I haven't heard a thousand times before, _monkey_."

Goku growled.

"Look, look," Freeza lowered himself to the ground in a submissive gesture, "I know what you're going to say. 'What do you want, Freeza?' 'Why did you come back now, Freeza?' 'Give me one reason not to kill you Freeza.' Well, I can explain all of those things and more, if you give me a chance. And before you say anything else, just keep in mind that my victory will benefit us both."

_Victory_? Goku gritted his teeth. Of all the reasons he thought Freeza's return could've meant, a war was not one of them., He decided to play along.

"Yeah? And just what do you mean by that?"

Freeza wasn't fooled by Goku's 'interest', but he continued nonetheless, "Oh, I'm so glad you asked. You see, even I have learned to swallow my pride and ask for help. Something you Saiyans never really got the hang of." It seemed he still couldn't resist taking a jab at the warrior race every chance he got. "Times are changing on my homeworld, and not for the better. For me, that is."

Ah, so that was it. "A power struggle with you and Cold?" Goku snorted. "Give me one reason why I should even care. Serves you right to have everything stripped away from you." He deserved far worse, but it gave the saiyan a twisted sense of satisfaction to see him squirm.

Freeza bared his teeth and let out a snake-like hiss before continuing. "As I was saying, my _dearest_ father has decided to keep the throne from me, my own birthright, to forward his own agenda. The bastard has deemed me 'unworthy' of the title of king, as if all I've accomplished and conquered wasn't enough for him. That ungrateful little-" He stopped himself and took a deep, calming breath, "But I digress. I've seen what he plans to do. He'll run my kingdom into the ground to do it. And then, he'll do the same to rest of this universe."

"And just how is that any different from what you've spent your life doing?" Goku challenged.

"Oh, my dear Goku. You misunderstand. I never planned to destroy all life, just rule it." He chuckled. "There's a big difference."

"Then I'll defeat your father." Goku puffed his chest out and crossed his arms. "As long as I'm here, nothing's gonna harm this planet. You and Cold ain't any different from any other big bad guy I've faced. I'll always defeat them."

The tyrant frowned. "Like you 'defeated' Vegeta? Or you 'defeated' me? Face it Goku, you always fail when you're needed the most, and all your little friends must pick up the pieces."

The faint energy from the crater spiked again, stronger this time. Goku glanced over Freeza's shoulder, but he just dismissed whoever it was with a wave.

"Don't mind it, it's just waking up."

"_It_?" Goku questioned with an accompanied spike of unease.

"Not important. What _is_ important is that I can't overthrow my father without you." A roar echoed from the crater but Freeza ignored it. "I'll make it easy for you: you aid me, and I'll leave Earth and this whole solar system in peace. How's that?"

Goku bolted forward and stopped just inches from where the tyrant stood. He towered over him and growled, "Your word ain't worth the dirt I walk on. Why shouldn't I just kill you now?"

Freeza sneered. "Because I'm the only one who knows how to defeat my dear father. I know where he'll be, how he thinks, his weaknesses, everything. This isn't a fight you can win with sheer strength alone. We can't do this without each other."

Another roar, louder this time.

"And," Freeza held out his hand in offering, "he's coming here first."

Goku's eyes narrowed into furious slits.

Feigning an innocent and hopeful look, Freeza smiled sweetly, "Deal?"

Goku stared at the outstretched hand. He grasped the tyrant's forearm in a less-than-friendly manner. "Deal..."

A crash and the sound of metal twisting came from the crater.

Freeza smiled fondly, "About time it woke up."

* * *

So whaddya think? I kinda rushed the end. comment, favorite, follow, whatever. Please I need validation. also if you want to go ahead and see what the "thing" is, check out the link below

post/177275040488/behold-metalbender-for-any-of-you-that-gives-a


	2. Prototype

Goku froze as the thing crawled out of the crater, his body flushed hot and cold at the same time. Freeza just kept giving it that fond little smile. The expression was so unnatural on his face that it was like looking at a photo instead of the real thing.

"Metal Bender, my dear prize! How was the trip for you?" Freeza ignored Goku's shock and turned towards it with outstretched arms. "So sorry I had to give you that shot before we left, but I know how you can get in small spaces. And we couldn't have you acting so hysterically, could we?"

'Metal Bender' just stood at the lip of the crater, hunched down like an animal. Goku squinted in the dark to get a better look at it. The only word that came to Goku's mind was _wrong_. It looked wrong. Knees bent backwards and arms braced against the ground as if it were doing a push-up Metal Bender's head was twisted around to look forward. With its palms flat on the ground, it began to crawl forward.

Goku yelped and jumped back, instinctively putting distance between himself and that thing. The only thing he could compare it to was a spider; each leg moving independently and fluidly.

Then he stood up.

Nothing could've prepared Goku for it. Metal Bender slowly rose backwards, twisting his shoulders counterclockwise while his head turned clockwise. It made a god-awful metallic sound, like a tinkertoy being wound up for the first time in years. Nausea hit Goku hard as he heard the wet tearing of flesh, and he swallowed to keep the bile from rising too far into his throat.

Despite the gruesome display, Metal Bender seemed to be unbothered. His back faced them and Goku thought he could see jagged shards of metal in various shapes and sizes protruding from the discolored scar tissue on his back. He saw what he could only assume to be a tail of some sort. A gnarled mess of wires surrounded the base, covered with what appeared to be metal 'scales', suggesting that the tail once had a thicker outer layer before being stripped away and innards torn off, leaving a skeletal appendage in its place. The metal vertebrae was slightly covered in thin ropes of flesh and muscle; wires randomly adorned the length of it. His tail ended in a metal club, about the size of Goku's head. It looked to be made up of scrap metal that had been melted together haphazardly.

He turned around, his light gray hair covering most of his face but did nothing to hide his long pointed ears. His eyes were completely black, save for small glowing white dots that seemed to serve as his pupils. Despite Freeza referring to Metal Bender as an 'it', Goku determined by his figure that he was undoubtedly masculine. He was dressed in what appeared to be a thick, leather-like fabric. His shirt was sleeveless, revealing thick and knotted muscle on his arms and what little bit of his chest that was exposed. His pants ended about halfway down his shins. Goku couldn't yet determine if his clothes were black or a very dark purple.

Freeza sighed as if a large weight had been lifted off his chest. "I know you hate needles and flying, but we had no choice. Now we're safe, you're safe my dear prize. Now don't be shy, come on over and meet Son Goku."

Metal Bender's eye flicked back and forth from Goku to Freeza as if debating something. Then he faced the two of them fully and shuffled forward. His gait was robotic and stifled. Goku continued to take in the creature in front of him. His shins and forearms were covered in metal scales, his feet were made to look reptilian, three large toes on each foot ending in long black claws that were hooked like thorns. His hands were huge, the palms alone bigger than his own head. Of course, each finger was tipped with long, black claws curved like fish hooks.

He stopped right in front of Freeza and leaned forward, resting his head on the tyrant's shoulder. Freeza reached up and stroked his hair, like a pet.

"What the hell?" Goku blurted out.

"Seeing how it's woken up, I believe introductions are in order," Freeza addressed him without pausing his movements. " Son Goku, this is Metal Bender. It's my. . . well, I suppose you'd call a creature like this a pet, wouldn't you?"

"_Pet_ ain't the first word to come to mind," Goku exclaimed, "Pets are cute, not. . . Not. . . whatever that is!"

Metal Bender noticeably stiffened and began to growl lowly. Freeza shushed him and continued as if Goku didn't interrupt him, "My Metal Bender here was the only one to survive the experimental prosthesis. Weren't you, my dear prize?"

Metal Bender stopped growling and grunted in response, face still buried in Freeza's shoulder.

Goku's ears pricked up at the word 'prosthesis'. He'd heard Bulma and her father talking about prosthesis before, hunched over blueprints of human limbs and gesturing over the finished product before shaking their heads and starting over from scratch. Bulma never let anything less than top quality leave her lab.

But Goku didn't understand what that had to do with Metal Bender. He looked normal, for the most part. Goku's eyes scanned his arm and noticed the tangled mess of scars that gave way to the armor.

His heart stopped. Metal Bender looked normal for the most part. _Unless he. . ._

"Whaddya mean, prosthesis?" Goku asked cautiously, already knowing and afraid of the answer.

Freeza chuckled darkly, still petting him as if he were a damn dog, "Haven't you thought about it, Son Goku? You sliced me into slivers on Namek, yet here I am, standing on my own two feet. How do you think such a thing could be possible?" He directed Goku's attention to his hips, which upon closer inspection he saw a small seam circling his waist. Freeza's legs and tail were a slightly darker color and the 'skin' looked leathery and rubbery.

Goku's mouth went dry in realization. _Freeza did this to him. . ._


	3. Der Weihnachtsfrieden

Goku's mouth went dry. "Freeza, why. . . why would you. . . this is-"

"_The only way to fix what you did to me_," he snarled as he placed a hand on Metal Bender's forehead and gently shoved him off. "Did you actually think that I would let some monkey tear me apart? Like some broken old toy? Have you ever been torn apart, Son Goku?" He turned around to face Goku, rage burning in his eyes. "Have you ever been taken apart and left to die?!"

Goku's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I gave you a choice-"

"_After_ I was a helpless and pathetic version of my glorious self!" Freeza retorted angrily. "Do you know what that's like? Being torn apart? I was so sure that I would never be whole again," his eyes flashed dangerously, "Do you want to know what really pissed me off? I would never be whole again, and it was _all_, _your_, _fault_!"

If Metal Bender was bothered by the dismissal, he didn't show it. Instead, Goku could've swore that he rolled his eyes.

Freeza took a step forward, jaw set and shoulders tense. He stopped lashing his tail and held it still directly behind him. He was getting ready for a fight. Goku grinned, he had been waiting for this.

He darted forward before Freeza could react and wrapped a hand around his throat. Goku held him in the air by his neck as he thrashed and hissed. Goku readied a blast of energy in his free hand as his eyes sparked blue.

He dropped Freeza and jumped back just in time to feel Metal Bender's hooked claws graze his face. Metal Bender hissed but remained still as Freeza coughed on the ground behind him. Goku stood in shock for a moment, gently feeling his wounds. Metal Bender managed to nick his left eyebrow and the bridge of his nose. Blood slowly dripped from a small scratch on the tip of his nose, he licked his lower lip and winced at the metallic tang. Looking up, he saw the two standing side by side, gearing up for another attack.

"Whoa! Hold up!" Goku resisted the urge to take them both on, this wasn't what he was here for, not anymore. "I thought you were here to get help? That ain't gonna happen if you start causin' trouble."

Freeza froze and blinked owlishly. He screwed his eyes shut and inhaled sharply through his nose. Goku waited as the silence stretched on, his gaze quickly darting over to Freeza's companion in an attempt to get a better read on him. Metal Bender, on the other hand, seemed to find a small shrub with singed leaves off to the side much more interesting than the conversation before him. He looked back over to see Freeza staring at him.

"So!" Freeza clapped his hands together as a large grin etched itself onto his face, "I had been wondering about that purple-haired saiyan I met."

So Freeza was just going to ignore his little outburst? Fine. Goku could play along some more. He still needed to find out more about Freeza's motives, and what his father's plans entailed.

"What about 'em?" Goku mumbled.

"Who was he?" Freeza asked in a fake conversational voice, as if he were asking about the weather. "Or rather, who are his parents? I used to think Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz were the only saiyans left. So when I first met your son, Gohan I think it was, I thought Raditz was his father. Family resemblance and all that."

Goku scoffed. "Yeah, that's just what we need. More Raditzes running around."

Freeza's eyes widened slightly before he snorted out a small and surprisingly genuine laugh. He stopped short as soon as he realised what he'd done, and continued, "Obviously, I was wrong. So there must be more saiyans running around that I don't know about. Now tell me, Son Goku, do you happen to know his parentage? He did seem familiar, maybe I knew his mother or father. I do love seeing old friends."

Goku pursed his lips and scratched his chest in thought. "Okay, this is gonna sound crazy, but I'm bein' honest."

"Oh?"

"That saiyan's name was Trunks."

"That's not a saiyan name, is it?" Freeza asked, raising a brow, "I take it he's half-saiyan and his hair wasn't some birth defect."

"Right," Goku said, "His mother named him. She's human. She went to Namek with Gohan and Krillin, but you prob'ly didn't meet her." As soon as the words left his mouth, it occurred to him that Freeza may not know who Krillin was. Not by name anyway.

Freeza gave no clue if he recognized Krillin or not. "I don't recall seeing any human women on Namek, but I'm assuming she made it out alive."

"Yeah, well, her name is Bulma. And she had Trunks a few years after Namek."

The tyrant gave him a look of shock and disbelief, "But, Trunks was a grown man, how-"

"Because he wasn't born when you met him," Freeza looked like he was going to cut him off again, but Goku continued. "The Trunks you met was from the future."

"A half-saiyan, from the future?" Freeza said in a skeptical voice. Even Metal Bender cocked his head to the side, showing that he was still listening despite he fixation on the charred foliage.

"Yeah, I know. But it's true. That's how he knew that you'd be there. He's a kid right now."

"Fine. I'll believe you for now, Son Goku. After hunting down magical orbs, I don't know why I'm surprised. But why did he come back in time? As much as it hurts my pride to admit it, I'm pretty sure he didn't go through all that trouble for me."

Goku nodded, "He didn't come for you, he came to warn us about these androids from his time that wrecked everything and killed everybody. But when he did, well, I guess when you mess with time, it tries to right itself?" Goku scratched the back of his head in thought. "He said there would only be two, but turns out their creator, a crazy guy name Gero, made himself into an android too. And some other guy, I think. Vegeta killed him, but I wasn't there for that part 'cause I got real sick. So then there were four androids to deal with, but then after Trunks' androids killed Gero they dug out this _other_ guy so we just had to deal with three. But then there was Cell and I was still sick this whole time-"

Freeza raised a hand to stop him. "I'm going to pretend I understood that. Only because you aren't making any sense and I don't really care to hear every single detail."

It suddenly hit Goku how strange this situation really was. Here he was, face to face with a cold-blooded killer and his. . . whatever Metal Bender was, having a conversation as if he were talking to an old friend that had been gone for awhile and filling him in on what he missed.

Freeza's voice cut through his thoughts. "I feel like we've gotten off-topic. So this Bulma is his mother, right? Now I'm guessing his father was the saiyan."

Goku swallowed, suddenly uncomfortable. If it were anyone else, maybe he wouldn't mind. But this was Freeza. And he was asking about Vegeta's son, even if he didn't know it. His thoughts drifted back to early days of Vegeta joining them, when he was still in the grey area of morality. Whenever any of them mentioned Freeza in his presence, he shot them a look that promised death if one more word come out of their mouth. It soon became an unspoken rule that Freeza and all things related to him would not be discussed with or even in front of the saiyan prince. Of course, Bulma and Vegeta did tell Trunks a little bit about him, as much as child could process, and Trunks in turn had told Goten. Much to Vegeta _and_ Chichi's disapproval. Should he tell Freeza about the family Vegeta tried so hard to protect from his bloody past?

"Son Goku? Are you going to tell me or not? Have you even been listening to me?"

Goku snapped his gaze back to Freeza, having apparently stared off into space without his knowledge. "What?"

"I said-" Freeza sighed and pinched the bridge of the nose, "Look, nevermind. Just tell me who the father is before I figure it out myself."

After a moment of silence, Goku finally spoke. "Vegeta."

Freeza's eyes sparkled. "Is he now? Well, I believe I'll have to give him my congratulations," he turned to Metal Bender. "You remember Vegeta, right? I told you about him not long after you. . . well, not long after the surgeries."

Metal Bender only grunted and twitched his ears in response.

Freeza seemed to understand what Metal Bender was trying to emote, "You don't? Were your auditory sensors broken?"

Another grunt.

"Seriously, do I have to tell you again?"

By now, Goku had drifted away once again. Wondering where he should put them. His own home was out of the question, and he wasn't even going to consider Kame House. Capsule Corps definitely wasn't an option. . . Maybe the Lookout? Dende wouldn't appreciate it. But Goku could always stay there too, he'd done it before. Not to ever babysit a villian, but still. It was as neutral ground as he could get without totally being out of his element.

"Son Goku!" a voice snapped.

"What?" Goku looked up to see Freeza _and_ Metal Bender staring at him.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I don't remember you spacing out this much."

Goku crossed his arms indignantly. "And I remember you bein' all bark and no bite. Now come on, I know where you can stay for now. I'll be there too, so don't try anythin' funny, got it?"

Just like that, the air of conversation has dissipated. The small truce was over even faster than it had begun. It was now replaced by hostility crackling through the space between them.

Freeza grumbled something about a 'spacey bastard' before asking, "Where? I should warn you, as strong as my Metal Bender is, it never was smart enough to learn to fly."

Goku grew more than a little concerned at Metal Bender's lack of response to the insult, but brushed it off. "Not a problem. Just put your hands on my shoulders and I'll use Instant Transmission to get us to the Lookout."

"Instant Transmission, eh?" Freeza said as he made his way over to Goku and clapped him on the back. "Thought that was a myth. You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

Goku let out a small 'hm'. He didn't quite hear what Freeza had said, he was too distracted by Metal Bender's ice cold hand on his back, the talons that had sliced his face not so long ago catching in his shirt slightly. He shook down the chill crawling up his spine and sought out Dende and Mr. Popo's energy.

When they appeared on the Lookout, Freeza wasted no time in examining the outside of the building. Goku kept his eye trained on his every movement before something bright flashed in the corner of his eye and distracted him.

He looked to his left and saw the source of the flash was nothing more than the slowly rising sun reflecting off Metal Bender's arms. He stood there like a statue, head down and arms hanging limply at his sides.

"So," Goku folded his hands behind his back and kicked the ground, "you were pretty fast back there. I'm pretty impressed. I haven't seen anyone that fast before."

Metal Bender said nothing. He only twitched his tail in what Goku hoped was some form of acknowledgement.

After another moment of no response, Goku tried again. "Freeza said you don't like needles?"

His segmented ears fanned out slightly before folding up tightly.

"Can't say I blame ya. They scare the hell outta me too." Goku continued as he ducked down to try and peek at Metal Bender's face through his tangled hair.

A small smile.

* * *

holy shit time flies. didnt know it had been so long since I updated. well, here you go.

favorite, follow, comment, whatever


	4. Can't Trust Anyone

Goku watched as Freeza strolled around the Lookout, hands folded behind his back and humming in appreciation whenever something caught his eye. His attention was drawn to his far left when he heard a sharp gasp and the clatter of metal tin falling to the ground. Even Freeza jerked up in surprise.

Mr. Popo stood at the row of trees near the edge of the Lookout, frozen in place and eyes betraying his shock. Water dripped out of the watering can that now lay at his feet.

"Mister Popo. . ." Goku raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Don't be afraid, Freeza ain't here to make trouble. okay?"

Mister Popo glanced at Goku before snapping back to Freeza. Freeza merely gave what Goku assumed to be a poor attempt at a friendly smile and dipped his head in greeting.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Mr. Popo asked as he took a step towards the main temple, "Th-that monster. . . H-he can't. . ."

"Be trusted?" Freeza interrupted him and he sauntered closer. "Save your breath, creature. I'd rather have this discussion when the rest of Son Goku's little posse show themselves."

"Stay back!" Mr. Popo shouted, startling Freeza to stop in his tracks at the sudden outburst.

Goku pursed his lips and walked to his friend's side, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Hey, how 'bout you go grab Dende? I promise I'll explain everything."

Mr. Popo looked up at Goku through narrowed eyes and huffed. Goku gave him and tight smile and squeezed his shoulder before dropping his hand to his side. Sparing one last glance at the tyrant he jogged back to the temple to find the Guardian.

"Funny little fellow, isn't he?" Freeza mumbled as he slid to Goku's side. "You certainly have a colorful cast of characters here on Earth, don't you Son Goku?"

The saiyan let out a 'hm' in acknowledgement as he looked around for Metal Bender. He saw him standing where they had first appeared, between the twin rows of trees at the center of the Lookout. He seemed unbothered by the exchange, and Goku wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't reacted to Mr Popo at all. He just kept staring into the distance, as if he were waiting for something. An unseen threat only he could sense. It was. . . concerning to say the least.

"As arrogant and trigger-happy as always, I see."

Goku blinked and looked down at Freeza. What was he talking about? "Who is what?"

Freeza gave him a dull look, pointed forward and spoke slowly, "Vegeta, he thinks he can win any fight, especially when he starts it."

Goku followed his finger and gasped. Vegeta and Metal Bender were circling each other slowly, teeth bared and ready to pounce at the slightest provocation. Trunks stared with wide eyes from the temple. He looked like he was about to vibrate out of his skin with excitement, torn between cheering his father on and joining in the fight himself. Dende stood a few paces behind him with Mr Popo by his side, gripping his staff so tightly Goku wouldn't be surprised if it had cracked.

Freeza began to speak using the same tone as if Goku were a child, but he was too confused to bother being offended. Goku couldn't make out what Freeza was saying, his voice fading into white noise. Why was the wind so loud? Was it always this loud, so far up? He couldn't remember.

A white form crowded his vision, a scowl on its thin black lips. It barked something angrily. Goku heard every word, but couldn't seem to process a single thing. What was it saying? It didn't make sense.

Seriously, what was wrong with this wind?

"Kakarot!" A familiar voice- _finally_, _a familiar voice_ \- broke through the roaring wind and brought him back to the present.

Goku looked away from the white form- Freeza, his mind supplied- and looked at Vegeta. Vegeta, who was currently pinned down by Metal Bender. "Wh-what?"

The saiyan prince gave him an incredulous look before shaking his head and barked, "I said, take Trunks and go! I'll deal with this thing!"

Freeza scoffed, "You can try, if you'd like."

Vegeta shoved Metal Bender off and threw him across the Lookout. He landed with a grunt and rolled before desperately digging his claws into the tiles to stop himself from toppling over the edge. The prototype barely managed to hook his claws into side of the Lookout before scrambling topside with a growl. He was breathing heavily, a faint whirring sound echoing from his chest. Metal Bender looked pissed enough to spit nails.

_Maybe he can_, Goku thought.

Freeza's arms remained folded behind his back and Goku just managed to notice him relaxing his shoulders the moment Metal Bender came back into view.

"And _you_, Freeza," Vegeta growled as his took a step closer to the alien in question, "are- _oof_!"

Vegeta was cut off as Metal Bender tackled him to the ground, knocking the wind out of the prince's chest. His long tail lashed about as he pinned Vegeta down on his back. One hand had both of the prince's wrists in a vice-like grip above his head and the other was wrapped around his throat.

"Finish him off, pet. I grew tired of his voice long ago."

"Dad, no!" Trunks wailed. The half saiyan lunged at his father's attacker, only to be swatted aside like a fly by Metal Bender's tail. The metal limb connected to Trunks' skull with a sickening crack and the boy immediately collapsed without a sound.

This really riled up the prince, who redoubles his efforts to free himself. Metal Bender merely tightened his grip. The prototype opened his mouth impossibly wide, and a bright blue light grew in his throat.

"Enough!" someone shouted.

Everything went still and all eyes pointed at Goku. Mr. Popo used this lull in the chaos to gather Trunks in his arms and bring him to Dende for healing.

"E-enough. . ." Goku repeated, "Metal Bender, please, get off Vegeta, will ya?"

Miraculously, Metal Bender obeyed. Gently, he slowly let go of Vegeta's neck and eased his weight off the prince. Goku winced as he heard the creak of metal. The grip must've been stronger than it looked. Still, he refused to release Vegeta's hands and remained crouched over his gasping form.

Goku walked closer to the two, "He can't breathe that well, like this. How 'bout you let his arms go, yeah? And get offa him too," he coaxed.

After a moment of silence, Goku continued, "Vegeta won't hurt cha', right?"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes and, begrudgingly, nodded.

"See? Jus' a misunderstanding, is all."

Metal Bender huffed and finally relented, backing away with his hands clasped behind his head. Goku kneeled down next to his fellow saiyan and helped him into a sitting position.

"Y-you. . ." Vegeta coughed and rubbed his neck that was already starting to turn purple.

Goku reached out but stopped when Vegeta held his hand up. That was fine, he didn't know what to do anyway.

"Vegeta, I know none a' this makes any sense-"

"It really doesn't," he wheezed.

"But please, jus' trust me on this, okay? I promise I'll explain everything. Freeza don't mean any harm," Goku continued.

"Bullshit!"

"I promise, there's a good reason for all this. Freeza needs our help an' we need his. Y'see, Cold-"

Vegeta pushed Goku away and stumbled over to his son. Dende had placed his hands on Trunks' temples.

"How is he? Why isn't he healed yet?!" Vegeta demanded, trying and failing to keep the worry out of his voice.

Dende calmly smiled at him in a way that reminded Goku of Kami, "He'll be fine. I just prefer to take my time with head injuries."

Vegeta opened his mouth to snap at the young namekian, but Dende continued, "I know what I'm doing, and he will be okay, you have my word. I just want to be thorough."

The answer seemed to soothe the prince's worry, but he was still far from calm. He looked over his shoulder at Goku and snarled, "Save your excuses until after Tunks is okay."

Then he locked his gaze on Freeza and Metal Bender, their heads bowed close together as they conversed in hushed tones. "And your excuses better be damn good."

Goku turned to face Vegeta again and nodded solemnly.

"It happened again, didn't it?" a soft voice asked.

"It's fine," Goku replied dismissively. "Don' worry about it."

Vegeta, having heard this, looked at Goku sharply and an uncharacteristic flash of concern in his eyes before he smoothed his expression over once again. "You told Bulma and I they had stopped."

"I said it's fine!" he roared, an aura of energy sparking around him in anger.

Vegeta jumped to stand between Dende and his son, his body tense with caution. Mr. Popo moved to stand by his side and placed a hand on the prince's forearm, keeping his worried eyes on Goku.

Goku blinked and relaxed, his outburst of power disappearing as quickly as it came, "I-I'm sorry guys, I just. . . ." He placed a hand on his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut, "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

"We know," Mr. Popo said gently. "That's why we're worried."


	5. The Oldest Saiyan

"Don't tell me you _actually_ believe that bastard!" Vegeta hissed. Goku had just finished recounting everything Freeza had told him, but no matter how he phrased it there was no convincing Vegeta that the former emperor was being sincere.

"C'mon, Vegeta! We've been over this like a thousand times-"

"Four, actually," the prince grumbled under his breath, crossing his arms in an almost petulant manner.

Goku huffed. _Damn smartass..._ "Whatever, just think about it! If he's tellin' the truth, then we need to be ready! If he's not, then-"

"Then what?!" Vegeta snapped. The venom dripping from those two little words made Goku step back slightly. For a moment, Goku saw the glimpse of bitter rage that the saiyan prince carried for most of his life. The same rage that fueled his lungs for decades. "_Then_ Freeza gets under our skin and makes us believe everything he says! _Then_ he turns his back on us! And _then_, he destroys everything we care about. . . ."

His rough voice trailed off as he looked at the ground. All at once, it seemed like the fight had been drained out of the saiyan prince. Goku's throat tightened as the meaning of his words set in.

_Under _my _skin. . . . Makes _me _believe everything he says. . . . Turns his back on _me_. . . . Destroys everything _I _care about. . . ._

"That, that won' happen again," Goku said as he swallowed around the thick lump in his throat. "I promise, 'kay?"

The taller saiyan hesitated before reaching forward and placing a firm hand on Vegeta's shoulder. He tried to pour everything he couldn't bring himself to say into that one grounding touch.

_You're stronger now. You have so much more to fight for. You've grown so much, old friend._

Goku hoped Vegeta could hear him.

The prince gave him a half-hearted glare before squeezing his eyes shut for a moment and let out a weary sigh. Suddenly, Goku saw just how much Vegeta changed since that fateful day in the canyon. He was always aware of how much the prince's heart had changed, of course. But now he saw how much Vegeta changed on the outside.

The heavy look in his eyes, regret etched into the aging lines on his face. There were bags under his eyes from many nights plagued with loathing dreams. Not that he slept much anyway, the years he spent in the army trained him to be alert and ready to fight at the faintest sound of danger. Scars criss crossed his skin, ranging from light pink to an angry red. His shoulders sagging under the weight of his past mistakes and sins.

Vegeta was the epitome of a shell-shocked soldier. A soldier that never went home, a part of his heart and mind always remaining on the field of battle. A true warrior weighed down by hardship and guilt.

Goku squeezed his friend's shoulder tighter, "It'll be okay, Vegeta. It won' happen again. I promise."

The prince let out another sigh. "You cannot promise that, Kakarot."

He pursed his lips. "Well, I can at least try."

He noticed the gray hairs behind the older saiyan's ears and and the base of his neck. Goku wondered if his hair was graying, too.

_You're not alone this time, old friend._


End file.
